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Post by Nadia on Aug 3, 2020 12:16:55 GMT -6
What a lovely yellow!
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Post by Xentus on Aug 3, 2020 17:19:40 GMT -6
Water had the magnificent ability to ferry minerals from one place from another. This usually bodes well for life - flora absorbed said minerals and transferred them to the fauna that ate them, and then they were ferried up the tree of predators as one animal ate another. In the water itself, shellfish filtered out minerals and created lovely pearls as a byproduct. But aside from the more lively parts of nature, the minerals alone had their own kind of life. Mineral-rich water that seeped into stones could spark the formation of geodes. And that was about the extent of his knowledge. Could there be gems that simply grew underwater? He felt like it were possible, if said gems could overcome erosion.
Finally catching his breath and feeling a bit refreshed, the leopard scooted off the rock and wandered along the river's edge. He followed after the occasional peck and crunch as Gid sought after something worthwhile among the scattered pebbles. And Mira stalked after her master, seeming more comfortable with the wider space to prowl. As much as the lure of gems and riches teased his mind, the Leopard was feeling that his adventure in this place should soon come to an end..
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Post by Xentus on Aug 3, 2020 17:36:01 GMT -6
Of course, that meant finding an exit. His best guess was to trace alongside the river, tracking with the flow. Most rivers emptied into the ocean, right? Such a path of reasoning seemed sound to him, but he could be wrong in assuming this wasn't some kind of special case. There were always exceptions to the norm in nature. Cave systems were always strange ones. For all he knew, this entire cavern could've once been the path of the river as it flowed, shaping the earth to its whims.. But he had no other lead to follow. And going back the way they came was not favorable. There had to be more than one way in and out of the caves.. And if not, he technically did have the tools to carve his own path, if it came to it. Which was probably the most difficult option.
A particular twinkle near the edge of the water had caught the attention of the gem dragon, and in turn, its master. A brilliant yellow stood out against the brilliant cyan-blue hue of the river, piquing the man's interest. He beckoned Mira along, readying his hammer and chisel from his pack. Now, who would get to it first?
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Post by Xentus on Aug 3, 2020 17:58:57 GMT -6
The living mass of sapphire was interested in a few different rocks, even if the glistening yellow stone seemed to be the prettiest of the bunch. The gem dragon cared not for superficial beauty, keeping its priority on proximity.. Xentus kept his ears pointed toward the poking and pecking of the creature while he made his move and bee-lined for gem. The dragon was closer, but not focused. The leopard was full of intent. Sure, he could always call for the gem creature to back off , but the feeling of this one-sided competition was fun. The man's muzzle carried a devious looking smile as he figured himself to be the victor of this imaginary race.
Gid slowly meandered toward another rock, edging closer to the pretty yellow crystal. It crunched on the relatively soft clumps of mineral deposits near the river, seeming to enjoy the odd texture. The sound reverberated through the wide open space, echoing against far walls. Mira's ears flickered in all directions as if to try to pinpoint the location of the noise, but the mosca couldn't quite tell what to make of it. Confusing. Following close after the footsteps of the mammalian man proved to be the only source of comfort in this wretched place.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 3, 2020 18:41:55 GMT -6
The lure of mineral-rich clusters was enough of a distraction for the gem dragon that the leopard made it to the vibrant yellow crystal first. Just as planned. Xentus smirked to himself with a subtle head-shake. Silly acts like these kept him young. And the creatures with him wouldn't pass any judgement.. Or they would remain indifferent, at the very least. But there was no need for his mind to dwell on such thoughts. There was a nice little prize waiting to be extracted. He knew this one too! Not too long ago when he met Jack whilst wandering beneath the earth, he'd uncovered this one. Citrine, she said it was. They seemed like a kind and generous woman, educating him on the various stones and gems they came across.
He wouldn't have minded having her advice for the current small collection of rocks he'd amassed.. Knowing of this one was reassuring though. The man carefully chiseled at the root of the crystal, tapping the gem until it cracked and fell. "Beautiful one, yes? Yellow, like your eyes", he murmured as he presented the rock to the curious mosca that was watching on. He let Gid examine it as well, but made sure to keep it away from the hungry beast's mouth.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 3, 2020 18:53:46 GMT -6
It was a nice find, and worth a small amount. The freed rock was stashed away into the backpack with the other finds from the journey. Since he hadn't been specifically digging around, his pack turned out to be much lighter than one much expect for having spent so much time down in the caves. Relying solely on Gid finding things wasn't the best method of mining, apparently.. But it wasn't like he cared much for the lure of prized gems in any case. He found the claws to be the most interesting spoils. Something to research about later on.
The trio continued their adventure along the river, Xentus leading the way. He kept a good watch out for any sign of night - listening for nightlife, hoping to see the twinkle of stars above.. So far, no such thing presented itself. Still, he pressed on, beckoning for Mira to stay close and for Gid to not wander off. He had the feeling the gem dragon wasn't looking forward to leaving as much as he and the mosca were. This was its natural environment, where it belonged. To be deprived of the earth's embrace must've been upsetting. He'd need to take the gem dragon along again the near future.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 3, 2020 19:00:49 GMT -6
The path was winding, but fairly stable. The occasional crunch sounded as the gem dragon found a mineral cluster to snack on. He was getting used to the noise at this point, even if it was a little grating on the ears. Almost like metal scraping on rust.. Not the most pleasant to the ears. Mira was much less thrilled about the noise, ears now flattened against her head in a feeble effort to block it. She followed close after the leopard without much need for the leash. It all was a good comfort, at least while within the confines of the rock.
Xentus was forced to diverge his path upon reaching an impeding rocky wall. The water swirled and went around the fixture, but it seemed he'd need to find another way though. He wasn't keen on taking a swim, and he had the feeling that Mira wouldn't appreciate it. The driest path pointed to a jagged crack a few yards away.. Hopefully not too far away that he'd lose track of the waters. The group changed direction, following against the wall yet again. The occasional pillar of stone jutted from the surface, providing some interesting variance to look at as they passed.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 3, 2020 19:09:38 GMT -6
Gid took the creative approach and took the jutting fixtures as an obstacle course. It clambered and fluttered from perch to perch, head bobbing to assess the distances between them with hollow eye sockets. Xentus was slightly worried about the creature hurting itself. Could it crack or shatter? He.. Didn't like the prospect. He was pretty sure one of the main shops that dealt with stones mined up from the earth also offered gem-beast smashing services.. It seemed so cruel to do. They were living, thinking gems. But also removed from traditional life, perhaps most didn't see them as 'lively' as one would consider a cat or dog. Slaughtering livestock for sustenance was one thing, but to destroy a gem dragon for the greedy purpose of using its remains for jewelry was awful in his mind.
The man frowned and tried to ward the thoughts away. Gid was living, it could heal if it managed to damage itself.. He hoped. He passed a wary glance to the creature as it jumped and clambered up to the next pillar. "Careful now, alright Gid?", he asked of it with concern in his voice. At least Mira wasn't interested in such acrobatics. Perhaps in a more comfortable environment..
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Post by Xentus on Aug 3, 2020 19:18:30 GMT -6
No doubt the mosca was capable of stunning aerial feats. Perhaps not at its current age, but as it grew and learned to use its wings better, it could probably dance through the air with the grace of a swan. Xentus mused on the thought of training the creature to fly and prance in the skies.. Perhaps after the upcoming tournament. Such colorful tricks wouldn't let her escape the dangerous jaws of whatever foes she might encounter. He'd already came up with a few ideas on how to utilize the specific strengths of a mosca. The flighty breed wasn't as strong as a huntress, however was much more lithe and could outpace an adversary. That's where they shined.
Pure power wasn't the only means to overcome great enemies. A strong defense was also a great tactic.. One might also consider simply running, never getting caught, to be another tactic. He wasn't the most well versed in the common battle practices of the pit, but perhaps through Mira he would get a glimpse into the brutal world of forced survival of the fittest. Musing on these thoughts, he began thinking on how Gid might fare in a combat situation. But again the thoughts of his prized gem dragon shattered to bits warded him against wanting to pit the creature against an adversary.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 3, 2020 19:25:32 GMT -6
As he made his way through the jagged crack in the wall, he considered some past thoughts again. Not everything needed to test their fighting potential. Gid was perfectly a mining companion. He didn't need to figure how it would survive in a combative setting. It only needed to survive in its natural environment, and had obviously done so just fine without his intervention. That was reassuring. Mira, a carnivorous hunter, did have potential when pitted against a foe. In a natural setting, she would need to take down prey to stay fed or fend off rivals from stealing her meals.
The natural world was brutal on its own. He settled with that sentiment and returned his attention to his environment. The opening revealed a winding path through a tunnel of sorts.. He could hear the echo of flowing water at the end of it. Seemed promising. But would it lead to the outside world? That was another question entirely.. And he would soon find out. The cramped tunnel was unnerving, with bits of dirt and pebbles crackling as they fell from the ceiling. He was glad he got Mira used to enclosed space, for this was a bit claustrophobic-triggering even for him..
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Post by Xentus on Aug 3, 2020 19:33:29 GMT -6
The leopard was more afraid of a cave in than anything. This path seems to have been unearth relatively recently, as far as he could assess. Which could be a completely incorrect assumption by him, yes.. But in any case, he stayed cautious. He tread carefully and tried to avoid disturbing the surrounding earth too much, afraid it might swallow him. That was not the way he wanted to die. He grit his teeth and pressed on, calling encouragingly to mosca and gem dragon trailing behind him. There was only enough space for a single file line.. His keen ears were pointed backward, keying him in on the distinct sets of footsteps of his creatures.
As the leopard and his company neared the exit of the tunnel, he breathed a relieved exhale. He could smell the fresh scent of the outside air.. It wafted gently through the tunnel, promising him an escape. And soon, he could see the river, flowing out of the cavern mouth. He could see the night sky, dimly lit with stars.. They were out. He cared not for trying to find where he was in relation to where he started. He'd figure that out easily enough. Escaping the cavernous earth was a mission accomplished, and the journey was a fulfilling one. But now, all he wanted was to head home.
75 > Exeunt Xentus, Mira, and Gid (75)
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Post by Nadia on Aug 4, 2020 18:14:53 GMT -6
Make sure you don't forget this!
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Post by Xentus on Aug 20, 2020 8:47:17 GMT -6
Mining Trip #2 > Xentus, accompanied by...
Back to the caverns. It had been a short while since his last venture out here with Mira and Gid.. Truthfully, there wasn't much that lured him here. It wasn't the most thrilling of places for him to wander around, as natural as it was. Xentus wasn't much of a cave crawler.. He enjoyed the bounties that the earth offered, even if they were but interesting rocks to him. What to do with interesting stones, he didn't know. They were not of the living variety, so they offered precious little to him aside from monetary value. Eh. Good enough.
The venture today was for the sake of spending more time with these strange little elemental beings. Better yet, they would get to spend time fully embraced by their element - earth. But for once, he wouldn't have the guidance of Gid with him. It would be a little too cumbersome to keep tabs on three creatures at once, especially in the depths below. The golems would likely stay near to him, but with how the gem dragon often wandered ahead on its own to dig for rocks, he felt he would much rather babysit only the odd golems.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 20, 2020 8:55:45 GMT -6
The leopard took a moment to assess his equipment before entering the cavern mouth. He was perched atop a boulder, rifling through his pack. He had his usual tools at hand, as well as a packed snack for himself - tuna salad and crackers. Normally he'd bring treats along for whatever creatures he had along for the trip; snack-gems for the gem dragon and capsule treats for whatever else. The golems didn't eat normal food though.. It was disappointing that he couldn't encourage them the same way he would with any other creature. They instead fed off his energy, his will, his desire. Him feeling proud and offering praise served the same purpose as a treat for them as it would for a typical animal.
Still a very new and strange concept for him, but he figured he'd grow used to it as he dedicated more time to these creatures. It was strange how light his pack felt without the extra heft.. More space to ferry about whatever stones and gems he managed to unearth, he figured. The leopard looked down at the two earth walkers on the ground. Their inner seed stared back at him, patiently waiting to follow whatever directive he established for them.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 20, 2020 9:05:18 GMT -6
Everything was accounted for. The mammalian donned his specially fitted hardhat, complete with holes for his horns and ears. He.. Still wasn't sure if he had ruined the integrity and protective qualities of the hat by drilling holes into it, but he still felt safer with it on than not. The flashlight was strapped around his wrist this time, pickaxe on his belt. Alright, time to get started.
Since he didn't have Gid to follow around this time, he figured that he'd take it nice and slow while venturing around the earth. Perhaps stay near the mouth until the sun offered no further light, then make his descent? He doubted that the earth golems had that same innate sense for gems that the dragon did. They may have been aligned to the earth and her splendors, but they were more creatures of dirt than glamour.
"Come then, little ones", he beckoned the walkers as he slid down from the boulder and started toward the large crack in the mountainside. The twin golems pattered after him, walking on two limbs and using the third as a tail for balance. He thought this form of movement was cuter than the tripod stance these creatures sometimes adopted.
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